Written by Aviva Tulasi
The next Osteoporosis and Yoga Workshop is Saturday, May 4th, 2024. Learn what postures to avoid and how you can modify postures to gain the same benefits and target, while being safe for your bones. Learn more on our event page.
In every yoga class that we teach at Dogwood Studios, we mention the importance of keeping our spine healthy. Osteoporosis is a silent disease. You can not feel when your bones get weaker. So much so that people often don’t realize they have low bone mineral density (BMD) until a bone breaks. The National Osteoporosis Foundation reports that the disease is responsible for an estimated two million broken bones per year. One in two women and up to one in four men over age 50 will break a bone due to osteoporosis. A recent review of osteoporosis literature says, “Although decreased BMD is what defines osteoporosis, this factor alone is not a major cause of pain or morbidity. Instead, morbidity associated with osteoporosis is primarily due to increased incidence of fragility fracture.” Fractures can be caused by any small force such as a fall. Load bearing exercise is beneficial for BMD and can also reduce fracture risk. The review of osteoporosis also explored the relationship between osteoporosis and mental health. Psychological stress can negatively impact your health, which includes your bone health. There are several potential links between a pathological response to stress and the development of bone disease.
Yoga like many exercises can promote healthy bones, when done correctly and safely. In addition, yoga practices help reduce the impacts of negative stress. But not all yoga practices are equal. Some yoga postures and movements are associated with risks for those with osteoporosis. There are special considerations to take into account when dealing with osteoporosis.
As a teacher, I learned that you had to expose students to a new word at least 7 times before the student understood it. However, according to Adlit, it could take as many as 17 exposures for a student to learn a new word. The key to learning something new is repeated exposure. Learning to read is just like learning anything else. The first time you hear something you might understand parts of it, but it is not until you go back and revisit it again and again that you can incorporate it as part of your active knowledge.
If you have taken the Osteoporosis and Yoga workshop in the past, you can still gain a lot of value by retaking it. Taking the Osteoporosis and Yoga workshop for a second or third time, will allow you to deepen your knowledge of how to move safely with osteoporosis. Maybe you have some doubts and haven’t found the correct words to formulate a question. Or perhaps you have something you are curious about but don’t want to take up valuable class time.
SAM Sather, a certified yoga therapist and RN, is teaching an osteoporosis and yoga workshop for you. Get all of your questions answered and deepen your understanding of how to move functionally so your bones stay safe. Although the workshop looks at yoga postures, the movements help you build strength and stability so you can continue to do the things you enjoy and those pesky chores with ease.
No prior yoga experience necessary. The workshop is not a full yoga class. It is a practical exploration of how your body moves.
Use your Blue or Gold subscription to register for Osteoporosis and Yoga Workshop!
When: Saturday, December 11th
Time: 12:30 pm to 5:30 pm EST
Cost: $25
Register: Using Dogwood Studio’s Ribbon Class Sign Up
Online Workshop Sign Up HERE
In Person Workshop Sign Up HERE
Learn More: https://dogwoodstudioyoga.com/events-osteoporosis
If you have any questions about our offerings, please email info@dogwoodstudioyoga.com.
Aviva Chaye Tulasi is a staff member at Dogwood Studios. She is a certified yoga therapist (C-IYAT). She applies the teachings of classical yoga to reduce the effects of negative stress and to balance the nervous system. Aviva will be teaching Mindful Movement and Yoga Mondays at 10 am and if available for private sessions. Email Aviva at yogawithtulasi@gmail.com. She is here to help.
SAM Sather, founder of Dogwood Studios, is a certified yoga therapist (C-IAYT), individualizes the yoga practice with appropriate modifications for participants’ unique bodies and medical histories with a focus on finding calm and improving health. She offers several live, online class in yoga as private sessions so you can focus on your needs one-on-one.